Chapter 1. Bad night
I woke up because the phone on my bedside table was shrilly ringing. The room was dark. Blue light of the full moon illuminated my room, creating scary shadows of furniture. The phone kept ringing. I reached out my hand towards the bedside table and fumbled for the phone.
"Hello," I said, lifting it to my ear.
No one answered me.
"Hello?" I repeated in a sleepy voice.
Whoever it was on the other end of the line, was still silent.
"Hello! Hello! I can't hear you!" I said. "Call me back, please."
I put the phone down on the pillow and switched on the lamp on my bedside table. It was one o'clock in the morning.
"Who could ring at this time of night?" I thought anxiously. "Maybe Nick wanted something?"
Nick and I often chatted on the phone before going to sleep. But he was unlikely to call me so late. Unless something terrible happened…
Hardly had I thought about it, when the phone rang again. I grabbed it.
"Hello."
Silence.
"Hello?" I repeated. Again there was no sound in reply. I couldn't hear even their breath.
"Speak! I'm listening to you!" I raised my voice.
They hung up. Scowling, I stared at the phone. I didn't feel like sleeping any more. These calls were so strange. I didn't like it.
I was alone in the house. Mum with Tiffany and Jason were still on holidays. I didn't go with them because at that time we were too busy looking for that stolen picture. Besides, I was looking forward to their leaving. Without Jason and Tiffany the house was calm and quiet. Dad was at work all the time; he came home only late in the evening. So the whole house was mine and I did enjoy it.
But last night Dad had to go to a business trip. At first he wanted to ask my grandmother to live with me for a few days, but I convinced him that I was a big girl and didn't need baby-sitters.
Now I was regretting about it. What if something happened to dad? My heart started to beat faster in my chest as this thought crossed my mind. His plane could crash or he could be kidnapped or he could be mugged or something else. I grabbed the phone and punched in his number.
No one was answering. My hands became wet with sweat. He doesn't answer. Maybe he can't answer. Maybe he's… At that moment I heard dad's sleepy voice.
"Dad! What's happened?" I shouted. "Are you okay?"
"Richelle? Is it you?" Dad asked in surprise. "What's happened?"
"I'm asking you what's happened!" I couldn't make myself calm down.
"Nothing's happened," Dad replied. "I'm fine. Tomorrow I'll be at home. Why are you calling so late?
"No, nothing," I mumbled, embarrassed, but incredibly relieved. "I… I just wanted to check. Good night, Dad."
Oh my god, I'm such a fool, I smiled with relief when I hung up. Someone must have dialed the wrong number or it was a joke. There's no need to panic.
I should learn to take such tricks easier, I said to myself. It's not good for me to worry about every trifle.
I yawned. Now when my fear went away, I felt very tired and sleepy. I switched off the lamp, wrapped in my blanket and closed my eyes. The cool wind blew through the half-opened window. Leaves outside rustled in the pelting rain.
My thoughts were gradually drifting away. I nearly fell asleep, when the phone rang again. This time it annoyed me instead of scaring. I grabbed the receiver and shouted: "How long are you going to…"
The wind furiously lashed into the window. The white curtain blew up and lowered onto my head like a ghost. I cried out in surprise, threw the phone aside and sharply pulled the curtain off my head. When I took the phone again, whoever it was had hung up.
I switched on the lamp on the bedside table and stumbled to the window to close it. Then I drew the curtain aside and cautiously glanced out the window to check. Just in case. Of course there was no one in the yard. Branches of trees in front of my window were thrashing from side to side. The moon gleamed between heavy, dark clouds.
Suddenly I heard a terrible crashing noise from downstairs somewhere near the kitchen. I froze. For a few seconds I was standing still, listening. No sounds any more. Only wind was whistling outside and rain was hammering on the window glass.
Still feeling uneasy, I sat down onto my bed. I couldn't get this new phone call out of my head. Now it already didn't seem that someone had dialed the wrong number. And the curtain lowered onto me like a ghost at the very same moment when they rang. And something crashed in the kitchen. I shivered. At that moment the bulb snapped and blew out. The room plunged into darkness.
My heart almost stopped beating. Overcome by horror, I curled up in the corner of my bed and pulled my blanket up to my chin, as if I could hide there. For a while I was afraid even to move. I clutched my blanket, staring at the door, expecting that it would open at any moment and someone or something creep in, like in horror films.
But nothing happened, of course. The house was quiet. I took a deep breath, then as quickly as I could, I dashed towards the door and switched on the light. I don't know what I'd expected to see, but there weren't any shadows or ghosts or anything else. All the same, I checked under my bed and in my wardrobe. I was alone in my room. I breathed out, trying to calm down. Now I should check the rest of the house.
I opened the door a crack and peered into the corridor. It was dark. I opened the door wider and slowly stepped out of the room. Switching on the light in every room on my way and checking it for ghosts or other paranormal stuff, I went around the house and finally came up to the kitchen door. Here I stopped and listened. Everything around me was quiet. I found I was panting. I was so scared I thought I could faint.
"Richelle, don't be such a coward," I tried to convince myself. "You're alone here. Who could get into the house if all windows and doors were closed and locked?"
I took a deep breath, pushed the kitchen door open and quickly switched on the light. A chopping board was lying on the floor. The hook, on which the board had been hanging, also was on the floor beside it.
"Richelle, you're an idiot," I said out loud to calm myself down. "The hook unglued from the wall and the chopping board fell. The bulb in the lamp blew out. And wind made the curtain move. How scary!"
I switched off the light and returned to my room. But I still didn't feel better. These phone calls didn't get out of my head. Because of them other incidents, which I wouldn't notice in another situation, seemed eerie.
I'm a sensitive person and I can feel when something terrible happens with people I care about. Now when this thought came into my head, I couldn't get rid of it. Someone must be in trouble. But who? Who can call me so late? Maybe it's Nick? He might be kidnapped. He might have managed to find a phone, but can't speak because the kidnappers guard him.
"No, Richelle, don't be stupid. What the hell kidnappers?" I said nervously out loud. "We talked only three hours ago. Nick's at home, sleeping in his bed."
But what if their house was attacked…
This thought made me shiver. Nick's father runs a successful import-export company, which certainly has got a lot of competitors and enviers. What if one of them ordered to attack the Kontellises' house? If it's true, the whole Kontellis family is in danger and I must do something to help them.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed probable. Finally I grabbed the phone and started to dial the Kontellises' number. But then I remembered that Nick had mentioned that his father had been waiting for a phone call from his partners from Greece. I hesitated. Nick had said these partners were to call at 6 o'clock in the morning and I didn't feel like wakening them in the middle of the night before the important negotiations.
But then I remembered the strange calls again, and made up my mind. I decisively dialed the Kontellises' number. Later I was asking myself why I didn't call Nick's cell. But I suppose I was too scared and couldn't think properly.
Anyway, I dialed the Kontellises' number. At first no one answered, then I heard a click. Someone said "Hello" and added something, probably in another language.
"Nick?" I asked in a shivering voice.
"Aftos den einai o Nik, aftos einai o Demetrius Kontellis," I heard Mr Kontellis's loud and clear voice. Something thumped. "Damn it!" Mr Kontellis swore in a low voice. "Why is it so dark? Yesterday it was lighter at six o'clock!"
"Demetrius, don't worry," I heard Mrs Kontellis's sleepy voice. "Everything's fine. Here you are your speech."
"Un momento!" for some reason Mr Kontellis mumbled in Italian.
"Demetrius, what are you saying!?" I heard Mrs Kontellis groan. "Your partners won't understand you!"
I looked at the phone, not knowing what to think. Why is Mr Kontellis speaking in a terrible mixture of English, Italian and Greek languages? And Mrs Kontellis seems to be worried. Probably I was right, something awful had happened there? And they are trying to tell me that they need help by speaking in different languages so as to confuse the criminals?
I raised the phone up to my ear again. For a while all what I could hear was a rustle and sniff, then something crashed. Finally I heard Mr Kontellis's voice again.
"Nay. Speaking."
"Mr Kontellis, what's happened? Where's Nick?" I exclaimed in a trembling voice.
Mr Kontellis gave a grunting sound. "I've already told you! Aftos den einai o Nik! Aftos einai o Demetrius Kontellis," he said very annoyingly.
"Is Nick okay? Tell me please!" that was all what I wanted to hear at the moment.
"It is not Nick," Mr Kontellis shouted. "It's his father, Demetrius," then he started speaking something in Greek.
"I don't understand!" I babbled, swallowing tears.
There were muffled curses on the other end of the line. Mr Kontellis must have put his hand over the phone, but all the same I could hear him quite clearly.
"Demetrius!" I heard Mrs Kontellis's desperate exclamation "Be quiet! You're wrecking the negotiations!"
"I'm not wrecking anything!" Mr Kontellis roared, apparently forgetting about the phone. "They are wrecking the negotiations! Their stupid assistant doesn't understand a word! I'm talking to her in English, she doesn't understand! I'm talking in Greek, she doesn't understand again! Should I talk to her in Japanese or something?"
"What's happened? How are you? How can I help you?" I sobbed.
"Oh, great! Now she's crying!" Mr Kontellis snorted sardonically. "Very good business negotiations! Hello!" he shouted into the phone. "I'm personally very happy. Are you?"
"Demetrius, give me the phone," Mrs Kontellis decisively demand.
"Oh, please! Here you are!" I heard Mr Kontellis's annoying voice.
Mrs Kontellis took the phone and very politely apologized for "Mr Demetrius Kontellis". As she put it, he was a bit sick and sleepy, and asked me not to take his words seriously.
"Mrs Kontellis, please tell me what's happened!" I said as calmly as I could. But my voice still was trembling and tears were already streaming down my cheeks.
"Oh, you're Australian! I'm glad to hear that," Mrs Kontellis said friendly. Then she whispered aside. "See, Demetrius," I heard her muffled voice. "She's from Australia. You've called her stupid! She must have heard it."
"First of all, I didn't say any English word," Mr Kontellis replied with pathos. "And second of all, I don't care even if she heard it. I didn't say anything wrong."
"Mrs Kontellis! It's me, Richelle Brinkley!" I said quickly.
"Richelle?! Oh my God!" Nick's mother exclaimed. "What's happened?"
"I'm fine! What's happened to you?" I sniffed. "Where's Nick?"
"He's sleeping," she replied. "Or not? Has he gone out again?" there was anxiety in her voice now. "Richelle, tell me what you know."
"I don't know anything! Someone phoned me," I sobbed. "I thought it was Nick."
Something thumped, then I heard Mrs Kontellis calling Nick.
"What's going on?" Mr Kontellis muttered somewhere far.
"Nick? Where are you?" I heard Mrs Kontellis shouting. "What's happened? Why is Richelle calling at six o'clock in the morning?"
"It's only two o'clock in the morning," I sniffed into the phone. "It's not six yet."
"Two o'clock?" Mrs Kontellis gasped.
There was a muffled rustle. Then I finally heard Nick's anxious voice. "Richelle, what's up?"
"How are you?" I asked quickly.
"Fine," Nick replied. "Rich, what's the matter? Why are you calling?"
"Oh, thank heavens!" I breathed out with great relief. "Listen, Nick, someone…"
"So? What did the partners say?" I heard Mr Kontellis's angry voice. "Have you spoken to them yet?"
"Demetrius, please," Mrs Kontellis said in a low voice. "The thing is…"
"Our negotiations have failed?" Mr Kontellis exclaimed dramatically. "They don't want to deal with us any more? Is this what that girl was trying to tell me?"
"Dad, it was Richelle," Nick put in.
"What has your Richelle to do with it?" Mr Kontellis barked. "I'm telling about that stupid girl, who works with my partners and who isn't even able to explain why they don't want to deal with me!"
"Demetrius! Calm down!" Mrs Kontellis pleaded. "Richelle must be hearing everything! Nick, say goodbye to her and go to bed. Demetrius, you go to bed too."
"Toula, don't you understand…" Mr Kontellis said in an unexpectedly low voice. "The partners have refused to work with us. It means that the incomings of our company will significantly reduce. This is the end."
"Demetrius, it wasn't your partner," I heard Mrs Kontellis say. "It was Richelle, Nick's friend. It's only two a.m. now, not six."
"Well well," Mr Kontellis growled. "So. While I've been waiting for important negotiations to give my son, who doesn't even want to work with me, a good life, his girlfriend wakes me up in the middle of the night. You and your friends have drowned in selfishness…" he shouted.
"See you tomorrow, Richelle," Nick muttered and hung up.
I stared at the phone in my hand. As far as I could understand, Mr Kontellis apparently decided that I was an assistant of his partners, who were to phone him at 6 o'clock. I hope he won't wreck his anger upon Nick, I thought sadly. Oh, anyway, Nick'll get over it. The main thing is that he's at home safe and sound.
I switched off the light in my room and returned to bed. It was almost three a.m. already. Tomorrow I'm going to have these horrible bags under my eyes, I thought as I pulled the blanket up to my neck.
I turned over and closed my eyes. The wind outside had died down a bit. At least branches of trees didn't create scaring moving shadows on my ceiling. Raindrops were still drumming on the window, and leaves outside were rustling, but now it was rather somnolent than frightening. I was gradually falling into a doze.
Tomorrow I'll tell Nick what happened to me, I thought sleepily. I can imagine how he'll react when I tell him that I decided that their house was attacked. Nick's is likely to laugh at my fears. I smiled. I like when he laughs. His smile is so beautiful. I can't wait to see him. Then my thoughts started to tangle and I nearly fell asleep, but at this moment the phone rang again.
This time I was sure that it was Nick. I hadn't explained anything to him. He must be worrying. Usually I don't call him at two o'clock in the morning. Without opening my eyes, I fumbled for the phone and raised it to my ear.
"Nick, let's speak tomorrow," I said pleadingly. "It's so late. I'm really tired."
Silence.
"Nick?" I repeated. A horrible prediction clutched at my heart.
There was a shrilly laughter in the phone. I felt a shiver running down my spine.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
The laughter stopped as suddenly as it started. There was a short pause, then I heard sounds of a funeral march. The music was far and dark. It seemed as if someone from dark depths of the underworld was playing this march of death.
I felt my blood chill in my veins, my heart stopped beating. I wanted to throw the phone away, but my fingers clenched it and refused to obey me. I went on listening to mournful accords which curled my blood. The wind outside was blowing furiously. Branches of trees thrashed in the wind behind the window. Shadows of branches on my ceiling were moving as if a ghost was trying to grab me with its bony hands. I felt tears of horror streaming down my cheeks.
"Stop it," I managed to whisper.
The music ceased. Instead of it, I heard that eerie laughter again, then they hung up.
I was shaking all over. Tears were rolling down my cheeks, I could hardly breathe. I jumped off my bed and switched on the light. But behind the door of my room there was the dark, empty house. The terrible music was still playing in my ears. I went around the house and switched on the light in all rooms again. Then I curled up on the sofa in the living room and wrapped into my blanket.
Who was it? Why did they want to frighten me?
It was just a joke, I tried to calm myself down. Someone just wanted to play a stupid joke on me. But who? Who could know that I was alone at home this night? Only my friends from the gang, nobody else. It definitely wasn't Nick. Liz, Elmo and Sunny wouldn't joke like that either, it's not their style. Maybe Tom? He likes jokes.
I'd been thinking about it for a while. Tom? But why? Then tiredness took the upper hand over me and I fell into a doze.
